Tokyo Olympics to allow up to 10,000 Japanese spectators
Despite COVID-19 concerns, organizers of the Tokyo Olympics will allow up to 10,000 spectators in Japan to attend the games.
Organizers announced Monday that maximum attendance for the games will be capped at either 10,000 people or at 50 percent of a venue's capacity, The Washington Post reports. Spectators will be required to wear face masks, and they'll be asked to refrain from shouting or talking loudly, BBC News reports. Fans are also being told to go straight home after attending the games, per The Associated Press.
This comes after spectators from overseas were previously barred from the Olympics, which were delayed one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though it had been undecided whether fans in Japan could attend. Monday's decision was made despite the fact that a panel of medical experts recently said the "least risky" option would be to have no spectators, and the experts also said the cap should be below 10,000 if domestic spectators were to be permitted, according to the Post.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"There is a risk the movement of people and opportunities to interact during the Olympics will spread infections and strain the medical system," the experts said.
Plans to hold the Olympics this summer faced opposition in Japan over the past few months as the country dealt with another COVID-19 wave and a slow vaccine rollout, though infection rates have fallen by about 70 percent since the end of April, according to The Wall Street Journal. Vaccination rates have also increased, with the country administering almost one million doses a day, The New York Times reports.
The Post notes, though, that Organizing Committee President Seiko Hashimoto says that should there be any "abrupt change in the situation," such as a new state of emergency being declared, "all the options, including no spectator games, will be examined by the stakeholders."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Geoff Capes obituary: shot-putter who became the World’s Strongest Man
In the Spotlight The 'mighty figure' was a two-time Commonwealth Champion and world-record holder
By The Week UK Published
-
Israel attacks Iran: a 'limited' retaliation
Talking Point Iran's humiliated leaders must decide how to respond to Netanyahu's measured strike
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 2, 2024
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
New York wins WNBA title, nearly nabs World Series
Speed Read The Yankees with face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the upcoming Fall Classic
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA Draft
Speed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
South Carolina ends perfect season with NCAA title
Speed Read The women's basketball team won a victory over superstar Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Iowa's Caitlin Clark breaks NCAA scoring record
speed read College basketball star Caitlin Clark set the new record in Iowa's defeat of Ohio State
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Eight-year-old Brit Bodhana Sivanandan makes chess history
Speed Read Sivanandan has been described as a 'phenomenon' by chess masters
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Watch Simone Biles win her record 8th US gymnastics championship
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Spain beats England 1-0 to win its first Women's World Cup
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
US knocked out of Women's World Cup in stunning exit
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published